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April 27, 2015

41st Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2015-Apr-27 (PDF)

L074 - Mon 27 Apr 2015 / Lun 27 avr 2015

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 27 April 2015 Lundi 27 avril 2015

Earthquake in Nepal

Introduction of Visitors

Member’s birthday

Eric Cunningham

Use of electronic devices

Oral Questions

Ontario budget

Ontario budget

Privatization of public assets

Privatization of public assets

Teachers’ labour disputes

Privatization of public assets

La francophonie

Hydro rates

Education funding

Emergency services

Health care funding

Health care funding

Forest firefighting

Housing Services Corp.

Workplace safety

Correction of record

Visitors

Members’ Statements

Minister’s comments

Riding of Windsor–Tecumseh

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Soldiers of Song

Marie Charette-Poulin

Leadercast

Rail safety

Kingston Gets Active Month

Earthquake in Nepal

Petitions

Ontario Drug Benefit Program

Off-road vehicles

Student safety

Bodies Revealed exhibit

Ontario Northland Transportation Commission

Water fluoridation

Pesticides

Hospital services

Student safety

Off-road vehicles

Alzheimer’s disease

Terry Fox Day

Taxation

Orders of the Day

Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Amendment Act, 2015 / Loi de 2015 modifiant la

Loi sur la Société de protection des animaux de l’Ontario

Ontario Retirement Pension Plan Act, 2015 / Loi de 2015 sur le Régime de retraite de la province de l’Ontario

The House met at 1030.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Good morning. Please join me in prayer.

Prayers.

Earthquake in Nepal

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Speaker, I believe you will find unanimous consent in this House to observe a moment of silence for the victims of the earthquake in Nepal over the weekend and in condolence to many families of Nepali Ontarians who live in our province.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The government House leader is seeking unanimous consent for all to rise and pay tribute in memory of the lost souls. Do we agree? Agreed.

I would ask all of us who can to please stand for a moment of silence in respect.

The House observed a moment’s silence.

Introduction of Visitors

Mr. Steve Clark: On behalf of the leader of Her Majesty’s official opposition, today we will have representatives from the Canadian Beverage Association who will join us shortly: Ron Soreanu, John O’Leary, Neil Antymis, John Challinor, Alison Bing, Jim Goetz, Brandon Ashmore, Carolyn Fell and Megan Boyle. We’d like to welcome them to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Cheri DiNovo: It is my pleasure to introduce, from the great riding of Parkdale–High Park, Renee Mercuri and Joshua Tusin. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I want to welcome my partner, Jane Rounthwaite, to the Legislature today. She had an hour and she came in to watch question period.

Mr. Jeff Yurek: I’d like to introduce and welcome Alexandra Robinson, who’s now a PC Party intern. She’s from St. Thomas, Ontario. Welcome to the Legislature.

Mr. Chris Ballard: I’m delighted to see that Joshua Osborne, a constituent from Newmarket–Aurora, is page captain today. With him are his mother, Jennifer Osborne, and father, Raymond Osborne, in the gallery. Welcome to them.

Mrs. Cristina Martins: I’d like to welcome to the Legislature students visiting from St. Mary’s Catholic Secondary School, which is located in my riding of Davenport. The students have come from Quebec on an exchange program.

Hon. Michael Gravelle: I’m very pleased to introduce George Saarinen, vice-chair of the Lakehead District School Board. It’s great to have you here. George is also on the executive of Unifor Local 229. Welcome, George.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: Later in question period we will be joined by students from H.B. Beal Secondary School in my riding, with principal Michael Deeb. These are students from grades 9 to 12 who are with the Oneida, Chippewa and Munsee First Nations.

Hon. Michael Coteau: Joining us in the Legislature today are students from Victoria Park Collegiate Institute, my former school. I’d like to welcome them to the Legislature.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): With us today in the Speaker’s gallery is the Right Honourable John Turner, 17th Prime Minister of Canada. Welcome to the House.

Applause.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Our other guests will be suitably introduced shortly.

I do have one further announcement before the UC, which is that today we are having a—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): An introduction? The member for Beaches–East York.

Mr. Arthur Potts: With your introduction of Mr. Turner, I noticed our good friend Mark Kierney is also in the House. I wanted to say welcome to the Legislature as well.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I was just going to say that the other guests will be suitably introduced shortly.

Member’s birthday

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): We do have one more thing: A note was slipped to me that the member from Brampton–Springdale is celebrating a birthday today. Happy birthday.

Eric Cunningham

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The government House leader on a point of order.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Speaker, I believe you will find that we have unanimous consent to pay tribute to Eric Cunningham, former member of this Legislature from the then riding of Wentworth North between 1975 and 1984, with representatives from each caucus speaking for up to five minutes.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The government House leader is seeking unanimous consent to pay tribute to Eric Cunningham. Do we agree? Agreed.

I now turn to the member from Niagara West–Glanbrook.

Mr. Tim Hudak: It’s an honour to rise in tribute to Eric Cunningham today, on behalf of the PC caucus. I bring greetings and welcome to his wife, Heather; daughter, Ashley; her husband, John, and of course, the Right Honourable John Turner, Prime Minister of Canada.

Eric Cunningham was a good man. He had impact, he made a difference and he was a fighter with each breath.

One thing I’ve learned in this business is that you never know who you learn a life lesson from. I remember that back in the early to mid-1990s—I sat in the back corner there—I was encountering these creatures called the Ontario Liberal Party. We had been through a recent battle, and I would say to my colleagues over there that it was a rather acrimonious time in the Legislature.

In one of my early meetings was another type of creature called a Liberal lobbyist. I was wondering exactly what this would be. It happened to be a gentleman named Eric Cunningham, a former Liberal MPP from down my way. We shared some of the same territory in my riding of Niagara West–Glanbrook and his in Hamilton-Wentworth. I didn’t know exactly what I was in for, but here he was, a gentleman, a consummate professional and a lot more soft-spoken in person than you’d see in the assembly. He got the game; he played it well. He gave me good advice.

We had a few things in common, too, that were part of the conversation. He was a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, as am I. He, I think, was the youngest member elected to the assembly with his first win back in—1974?

Interjection: Seventy-five.

Mr. Tim Hudak: He was even younger in 1974.

I actually wasn’t the youngest member elected in 1995. That honour belonged to John Baird, but I told Eric at the time that I was the most immature. But he understood.

I think my colleagues like Jim Bradley and Monte Kwinter might be surprised by this: He actually ended up coming to my fundraisers as well when he had Melrose communications. But he got his point across. He knew how to do that. He understood the bounds that we lived within, as the PC government at the time, and he was highly effective in the work he did, because he was a professional. He cared deeply about the issues, particularly around the environment. I had a lot of respect for him. I can only imagine how much he’s missed by my colleagues who knew him across the floor, let alone his family here today.

He came from that era before the cameras, so when the cameras were on, he was one fiery member of the Legislative Assembly. I think he thought that fighting Irishman from Notre Dame—he thought he was a little soft in his public portrayal. He stood up for his issues and fought for what he believed in, with passion.

I think he showed an incredible affection and belief in the philosophy of the Liberal Party when, after winning three straight elections, he decided to step aside from the provincial assembly to run for John Turner at the national level. That takes some doing. That takes some guts. I can tell what kind of impact he had with the federal Liberals to see the Prime Minister taking the time to be with us here today.

When he was in the assembly, he was a deep red. But the other part of his colours—he had a strong, strong streak of green. He always championed environmental initiatives. He was the environmental critic for a while. Clean water, clean air, parks, recreation areas—we owe a lot in the Hamilton area to what Eric Cunningham championed at the time. Of course, as well, working in the water industry made a difference in where the province went in the time ahead. I know colleagues in his party and the NDP will reflect the same thing that I heard.

His colleagues said he loved his constituents, and they loved him back. He engendered the respect of friends, colleagues and clients for his wisdom, his thoughtfulness and his integrity. He was a proud Canadian, and a loyal, faithful, dedicated member of the Liberal Party of Ontario and that of Canada. Some say he was the kind that would fight the unwinnable battles. He relished a good fight. But he had his share of victories, and sometimes it’s the fight that’s more important, at the end of the day, when you stand on principle. We thank him for it.

Sometimes bad things can happen to good people. That’s a bitter irony of life. It’s not so much accepting that fact as what you do about it. The sad irony is that much of Eric’s later years after leaving the assembly were tied up in a legal battle, but he still fought for justice with his heart, with his family, and what he will leave behind. There’s some justice in that some that gave his family, sadly to say, a bit of a living hell—they’re now in jail. We stand in tribute to Eric Cunningham and what he stood for, his image and his legacy.

He was a good man, an incredible and successful politician, with great achievements in life. We stand today—and I’m proud, as a member of the PC Party—in respect for a member who sat opposite but was with us in actually making a huge difference for his community, for his environment and building bridges across the party.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Further tribute.

Mr. Paul Miller: For many of us, our only encounters with Eric Cunningham are the news articles that told us the stories of the challenges he faced over the last 12 to 15 years. At first glance, that may seem to be kind of tragic or unfair. But in many ways, this

chapter of his life captures the essence of who Eric Cunningham was and why he was loved and respected by so many.

In fact, the qualities that served Eric well in that fight—his tenacity, sharp mind and his willingness to stand up for his convictions and fight for what he believed to be right, even in the face of daunting odds—were the tools he brought to the job as MPP and his many years of public service after resigning from Queen’s Park.

I didn’t have the privilege of knowing Eric Cunningham, but in reading up on him, and speaking with colleagues in preparation for today’s tribute, it became clear that he would have been my kind of guy, party affiliation notwithstanding, of course.

I may not have had any contact with Eric over the years, but my uncle Bill Powell, the mayor of Hamilton, certainly did. My uncle only had good words to say about Eric.

The people of Hamilton like their politicians feisty, and Eric certainly filled that bill. His passion for the communities he served and the Liberal Party were intertwined. It would hardly be a stretch to say that he was fiercely partisan—even his obituary spoke of his dedication to the Liberal Party—but it was clear that he saw it as a platform to speak up for the people of Hamilton–Wentworth and Wentworth North. He was never one to shy away from a fight, even when he knew he might not win, if it was in the best interests of the people he had the privilege to represent.

As MPP, Eric was well regarded by his constituents, winning by increasingly comfortable margins during the course of his tenure here at Queen’s Park. And in keeping with who he was, the decision to step down from provincial politics to run federally in the 1984 election was driven by his desire to be an effective voice for the community he was proud to call home.

Although the 1984 federal election didn’t turn out the way he would have liked, it did not diminish his commitment to public service or the Liberal Party. Not only did he serve on a number of boards and commissions throughout the greater Toronto and Hamilton area, but he was also a willing and active mentor to the generation of Liberal MPPs who would follow in his footsteps. His legacy can be seen in the chamber in the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing—another Hamiltonian, Mr. McMeekin, is there now—and the influence and impact he had had on other municipal and provincial representatives who had the privilege of knowing Eric.

To Eric’s wife, Heather, daughter, Ashley, and son-in-law, John, thank you for being here today and for the opportunity to acknowledge Eric’s contribution to our province. We stand with you in your time of loss.

Eric, on behalf of Andrea Horwath and the Ontario New Democrats, please accept our thanks for your many years of tireless service to Hamilton, Burlington and to the people of Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Further tribute.

Ms. Eleanor McMahon: I’m honoured to rise in the House and join the member from Niagara West–Glanbrook and the member from Hamilton East–Stoney Creek in paying tribute to a former member of this place, a mentor and a friend. In doing so I will share my time with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

On January 1 of this year, like many of you, I was saddened to learn of the death of former MPP Eric Cunningham, taken from us suddenly and far too soon. I’m pleased and proud that Eric’s wife, Heather, his daughter, Ashley, and his son-in-law, John, are here with us today to hear from members of this place about his contributions to public life, his work on behalf of the people of Wentworth North and his fierce commitment to the people of Ontario.

We are all honoured that the Right Honourable John N. Turner, our 17th Prime Minister, with whom Eric ran as a federal candidate in 1984, is here today. Mr. Turner, I know that Eric would be very proud and pleased that you are here. Eric respected you greatly. The two of you shared many things, among them your love, affection and respect for your mothers, both of them formidable. Said Eric when his mother, Estelle, died, “There may have been prejudices out there in the workplace to the advancement of females, but whatever barriers were put in my mother’s way she moved them aside and never complained about it. She got things done.”

Well, Mr. Speaker, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Eric first ran for the Liberals federally in 1974, where at the age of 24 he lost a very close race to long-time Burlington MP the late Bill Kempling. The following year, Eric ran provincially and was elected in the riding of Wentworth North, one of the youngest MPPs, as the member opposite mentioned, ever elected to the Ontario Legislature. Eric was re-elected in 1977 and in 1981, resigning in 1984, as has been mentioned, to run federally for a second time.

He then entered private life and worked as a public and government relations professional, doing things that he found meaningful and in support, always, of his community and the residents of it.

On a personal note, I was grateful to have Eric’s support and assistance. I enjoyed our conversations. He was generous with his time and his advice. Eric was a man of principle and a tenacious seeker of justice, qualities which made him an excellent MPP and much loved by his constituents. His sense of humour and warmth made for easy conversations; I miss both.

To his wife, Heather, his daughter, Ashley, and his son-in-law, John, our deepest condolences.

I would now like to invite the minister, a close friend of Eric’s, to share a few words.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Further tribute.

Hon. Ted McMeekin: On December 30, I received an email from my good friend Eric Cunningham. He wanted to get together to discuss land acquisition issues related to his duties as a provincial appointee to the Hamilton Port Authority. Now, this was just one of many regular emails, calls or meetings I had with Eric. He was always busy advocating on a number of projects. I replied to Eric’s email, suggesting we could get together sometime in mid-January. Sadly, that meeting never happened. Eric Cunningham passed away in the early morning hours of January 1.

Eric served, as you’ve heard, as MPP for Wentworth North from 1975 to 1984. In 1984, while I was mission officer with the United Church of Canada, I took a sabbatical to work with Eric in his attempt to transition to federal politics. For three weeks, we canvassed side by side, and I specifically remember that, two days before the election, Eric turned to me—we were having a sandwich together—with a smile on his face and said, “You know, Ted, we’re going to lose this election big time.” I asked him how he could smile, knowing the election was lost. He replied, “It doesn’t matter. What matters is I had the opportunity to meet a lot of great people.” That was Eric.

He was a giant when it came to politics. He gave people who were cynical and skeptical about politics something to believe in. He loved his work, and as the honourable Mr. Hudak has said, his constituents came to love him very much indeed.

Eric had the rare gift of being able to transform political enemies into friends. Since his return to the private sector, he constantly provided advice and wise counsel to many, including myself. We’d meet at least once a month to talk about every issue under the sun, but instead of simply pointing fingers, Eric always backed up his concerns with a potential solution. Needless to say, I respected him very much.

There are many stories I could share about Eric, but one recent event stands out for me. It involved a young girl suffering from cystic fibrosis who needed a new wonder drug that was not yet covered by OHIP—you may remember. The government was under pressure to approve the drug, and Eric said to me—I quote from an email he sent: “How can we justify paying for in vitro fertilization, smoking cessation products and liver transplants for people who have abused their bodies all their lives, but not be able to help this 12-year-old girl?” It was a question that needed to be asked. It spurred me to lobby my colleagues at Queen’s Park to try to help this young lady.

Speaker, I miss Eric’s friendship and wise counsel. Let me conclude with this final thought about my good friend Eric Cunningham. It is said you never pay your debt to the past until you have left a future indebted to yourself. Eric, you paid your debt to the past; the future is indeed indebted to you. We owe you big time, buddy. Rest in peace.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I thank all members for their heartfelt and very warm tributes to Eric Cunningham and to the family.

To the family: As is the tradition, we’ll make hard copies of Hansard available and a visual presentation of what you heard today, on behalf of the Legislature. God bless. Thank you.

Use of electronic devices

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I want to take a moment before we move to question period. Once again, I would like to address the House on the issue of the use of electronic devices in the chamber and in committees. I need to remind all members that our interpreters and transcriber staff who use headphones in their work have real difficulty when smart phones or any other devices vibrate on the members’ desks. This sound is amplified and is not only disruptive to the work of these staff, but has an effect on their hearing. This is a health and safety issue that I must bring to your attention.

For the sake of the interpreters and the transcriber staff, the members need to take care not to have this happen at all.

I also ask the members to either turn off the vibrate function of their BlackBerrys or not put their BlackBerrys or any other vibrating-function material on their desks at all. Keep them on your person. It would be the best for us.

I also want to remind members that it’s never permissible to take pictures from your devices or other ways in which we can now find ourselves able to take pictures—and I broaden that as much as I can to anticipate the future—here in the chamber or in committee, nor are any members to read directly from any of your devices when making presentations in the House.

I would appreciate deeply your co-operation on this issue. Thank you.

It is now time for question period.

Oral Questions

Ontario budget

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Good morning, Speaker. As an homage to Mr. Cunningham’s feistiness, I’ll direct my question to the Premier.

With last week’s budget, Premier, you could have done the right thing and changed the path you put us on. We’ve all stood here sharing stories of the pain you’re inflicting on families throughout Ontario. We’ve also heard from the rating agencies, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and especially the Auditor General, all warning that you’re headed in the wrong direction.

So what do you do? More of the same: more spending, more debt. You continue to use the province’s credit card instead of a debit card. Premier, why do you continue to make it harder for Ontarians to pay their bills?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: We have a fundamental disagreement with the party opposite, a party that ran on a plan to begin by cutting and slashing across government. We said from the beginning that that was not our intention. We said that we were going to build this province up. We said we were going to make investments, and that is exactly what we are doing. We are investing in infrastructure. We are investing in transit and roads and bridges. We are investing in people’s futures in terms of their skill development and youth employment. We know that if we don’t make those investments now, we will not have that economic future of which we’re capable.

I understand that the party opposite doesn’t support that philosophy, doesn’t support the fact that we need to build the province up and at the same time eliminate the deficit.

We’re on track to do that. We’ve beaten our targets every year. We’re going to continue to do this in a balanced and moderate way.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Premier, your budget isn’t just more of the same. In many instances, it’s actually a re-announcement from last year. Take that investment in infrastructure you just spoke of. It was actually word for word in last year’s budget, except last year you only needed $3 billion from asset sales to make it work. Now it needs the sale of the GM shares, $9 billion from the sale of Hydro One, the LCBO headquarters and the OPG building. It suddenly needs all those now to make it work.

You’re selling public assets to pay for what was already budgeted. It’s a shell game. You’re really using the money from the sale of Hydro One to reduce your deficit. And without the hydro revenue, you are going to be increasing hydro rates to pay off the mortgage.

Premier, why do you continue to increase our hydro bills to pay for your mistakes?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Let me just take on a couple of the aspects of what the member opposite has said, both of which are not accurate. The fact is that we are committed to and were committed to—we ran in the election and we put in our budget last year that we were going to review the assets of this province that were owned by the people of Ontario to make sure that we could leverage them to invest in the assets that are needed today. Those dollars that we will realize through the opening of the ownership of Hydro One will go into transit and the transportation infrastructure that is much needed in this province.

I would say to the member opposite that he is a member of a party that sold the 407 in a fire sale that assured no investment for the people of Ontario, that put no controls in place in terms of the ongoing regulation of that asset, all of which are a model of how not to do it.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Final supplementary.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Premier, the reviews on your budget are in, and they’re not pretty. Moody’s offered two words: “considerable risk.” Others are claiming a “deteriorating fiscal position.” Another said it was “lacking in detail.”

The worst thing was your chart on page 199. It’s the same fake chart that was disclosed in the Legislature last year, the fake chart where your own ministry says the fake numbers were “never a real expectation” and it was “a deliberate policy.” They were “notional targets,” and there were no plans to deliver on them. You used the chart again. You guys couldn’t even make up a new fake chart.

Premier, why do you continue to use these fake numbers that make it so difficult for families in Ontario?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Well, you know, it’s interesting, because what gets said here in the Legislature isn’t necessarily what gets said back at home. So the real numbers—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Member from Leeds–Grenville, come to order.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: —that we are using are numbers that the member opposite used apparently—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Right after I admonish, you carry on. Second time.

Mr. Shafiq Qaadri: “Fake” should be withdrawn.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Etobicoke North will come to order.

Carry on.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: This is a general pattern. Apparently on April 20 of this year, so very, very recently, the member for Nipissing, talking about health grants awarded—“Three local health organizations will receive a total of $46,400 in one-time funding for the 2014-15 funding year.

“The funds, recently announced by Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli, will go toward mental health and replacement reserve costs associated with supportive housing services in Nipissing.”

The member opposite knows full well—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Member from Stormont, come to order.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: —that if we are going to have a healthy society, we have to make investments to support people and support communities. He’s happy about that in North Bay; I think he should understand that that starts here.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. Stop the clock, please. Be seated, please. Be seated, please. Thank you.

New question? The member from Nipissing.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: To the Premier: Please don’t add those people to the 94 health care workers, including nurses, you’ve already fired in North Bay.

Ontario budget

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Last week, when asked about the budget, the Premier said, “We don’t believe right now that taking more money out of people’s pockets would be responsible.” I was in the lock-up. I spent seven hours reading the budget. I don’t know if the Premier read her own budget if she thinks it isn’t filled with schemes to take more money out of people’s pockets. The budget included a payroll tax, a cap-and-trade tax on everything, a beer tax, another installment on the aviation fuel tax, increased user fees and increased hydro rates.

Premier, which of those isn’t taking more money out of people’s pockets?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The member opposite needs to decide what his line of argument is. He needs to decide whether he believes that it’s important that we make investments like infrastructure—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): And when I sit it will stay that way.

Carry on.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: —like infrastructure, like transit, like roads and bridges, like health care, or whether he believes that we should just go straight on—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Member from Stormont, come to order; second time.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: —and we should slash across government and eliminate the deficit sooner than 2017-18, which is what we’re on track to do.

Or the third option is, he could look at the complexity of the problems that we are confronting as a society. He could understand that we are in a transition in this province in terms of our economy and that we need to create a business climate that helps businesses to locate here and helps them to expand. He would then understand that we need to make those investments in infrastructure that will allow communities to thrive. That is the third path. We’re happy to have his—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you.

Supplementary?

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Premier, our caucus had five budget asks designed to make life better for the people of Ontario:

—stop your payroll taxes that will put a burden on business and cost us jobs;

—don’t adopt your cap-and-trade tax as it hurts families by putting a tax on everything;

—fix home care by reducing the number of agencies patients must deal with;

—make hydro more affordable, as it’s chasing away business and causing families to choose between food and fuel, whether to heat or eat; and

—we asked you to present a serious, credible, detailed plan to balance the budget.

You chose to ignore this advice and continue with your tax-and-spend schemes. Premier, will you admit your budget will make it harder for Ontarians to pay their bills?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Let me just be clear with the member opposite—and just to look at what he is saying in terms of those asks. He’s saying, “Don’t deal with climate change. Don’t do our part.” He’s saying, “Spend more on health care.” He’s saying, “Don’t make the investments in transit and transportation infrastructure that we need to make.” He’s not acknowledging that we are in fact on track to eliminate the deficit.

I’ll read from what Don Drummond said. I know that Don Drummond is someone the party opposite has quoted many, many times. Here’s what he said: “The 2015 budget’s plan to restore fiscal balance by 2017-18 is credible ... The 2012 commission saw tremendous potential for extracting savings while maintaining and even improving the quality of services by changing the way they were being delivered. The budget offers many examples of commission recommendations the government is following.”

I would think he could sign up for that.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Final supplementary.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Like most MPPs, I too was home this past weekend. I ran into a guy I know who has owned a manufacturing shop in North Bay for years. He told me that if things don’t pick up, he’s going to close and leave the province for other work.

At a community dinner, a municipal councillor said to me, “Vic, it’s like the air is coming out of our economy.”

At a function yesterday, a woman who moved to BC said she’s been following—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Minister of Finance.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: —what’s happening in Ontario and can’t believe what has happened—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Second time, Minister of Finance.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: —to our province.

Premier, this is what people are feeling all across Ontario. Taxes are going up all around them. Hydro rates continue to skyrocket.

Premier, when people are suffering all around you, why do you continue to take more out of their pockets?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The member opposite ran on a plan to fire 100,000 people as their first action. But I would say to the member opposite, I take from what he said that he would be very supportive of the fact that we have made permanent the northern industrial energy rate plan. I would take that he takes as positive and supports the notion of expanding and adding to our Jobs and Prosperity Fund and making the forestry industry eligible for those funds, and that he would understand we’re doing that because we recognize that forestry is coming back but that we need to partner with forestry businesses to make sure they have a future in northern Ontario.

I think that if he is concerned about manufacturing and jobs in the north, he would be very supportive of those initiatives, all of which are included in our budget.

Privatization of public assets

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is for the Premier. The Premier insists the only way to invest in transit and transportation is to sell off Hydro One. It’s just not true. Selling Hydro One funds less than 3% of the Liberal transit and infrastructure promise. Yet again, the Premier is making the wrong choice and families will pay the price. The Premier is busily selling the foolish notion to Ontarians that the only way to have infrastructure is to sell a strategic asset that makes them money each and every year.

Does the Premier actually believe her own spin?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Here is what I believe: If we do not make the investments in transportation and transit infrastructure needed now, if we don’t start those investments now, in fact continue on the work that we have been doing since 2003 and make that ongoing, then we will not have the infrastructure that is needed in order for our economy to grow.

Now, I understand that the leader of the third party is going to be doing a tour of the province, and she’s going to be talking in communities about the plan that we have put on the table. I hope that in those same speeches she explains how she would build transit and how she would build transportation infrastructure without making the decisions that we are making, because so far, she ran on the plan that we ran on, and she hasn’t put any alternatives forward. So I look forward to her explanation.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please. Thank you.

Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Perhaps the Premier should listen up. The Premier said she needs to find $400 million per year. At most, that’s 3% of what’s needed for her promises. But she will not close HST loopholes that give away nearly billions annually. She will not end the waste that happens with P3s—billions of dollars. She brags about Ontario’s combined corporate tax rate being less than that of Alabama, but she won’t look at that either. She seems to think the only answer is to sell off Hydro One. It’s the wrong decision.

Can the Premier explain why Ontarians should pay the price for another one of her wrong decisions?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The fact is that we are doing a number of things, and the member opposite knows full well that we are pulling on a number of levers in order to have the resources. We are raising taxes. In fact, in the last two budgets we have raised taxes on individuals at the upper end of the income scale. We have raised taxes on jet fuel. We have apportioned a portion of the HST and gas tax to invest in transit and transportation infrastructure.

The fact is, we cannot borrow endlessly. That is what the NDP would like to see. They would like to see us just rack up debt, and they don’t want to work with the private sector. The leader of the third party has said she doesn’t trust the private sector on anything. We trust the private sector to create jobs. We trust the private sector to work in partnership with us. We know if we don’t make investments today we won’t have a thriving economy tomorrow.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Final supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The fact of the matter is, this Premier does not have a mandate to sell off hydro, and she does not need to sell off Hydro One. Selling off Hydro One is wrong for families. It is wrong for Ontario. Once it is gone, it is gone forever. There are no do-overs when it comes to the sell-off of Hydro One.

The Premier has no mandate. She has no good reason to sell off Hydro One. Can she explain exactly why it is that she’s choosing to do so?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Let me go over this again because I know this is something we’re going to need to talk about over the coming weeks, because it’s a complex issue.

The fact is, we have assets in this province that we have built up over years. They were assets that were needed in the 20th century and the 19th century, and we need to make sure that we have the assets that are needed in the 21st century.

What Ed Clark and his group have said to us is, “You know what? Take that asset that was built up years ago, retain ownership of 40% of that asset, but use the income you can get from the other portion of that asset to invest in infrastructure that’s needed today.”

But what we said was, we have to have some controls in place. The regulatory regime, the price-setting regime, those remain in place, as well as de facto control of the board. The member opposite neglects those parts of this plan.

Privatization of public assets

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also for the Premier.

The Liberals still have not learned right from wrong, and it’s families that are going to be paying the price.

The Premier and her friends don’t seem to have any problem finding billions to pay for corruption and scandal, but when it comes to paying for much-needed transit and transportation, they’re making the wrong decision again. Selling off hydro isn’t maximizing. It’s not repurposing. It’s not optimizing. It is a fire sale, plain and simple. Will the Premier just pull the plug today?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Selling off the 407 was a fire sale. That was the model we looked at and we said, “We’re not doing that. There’s no way we’re going to sell an asset and rob the people of Ontario of any future value. There’s no way we’re going to undervalue an asset and sell it off.”

We’re doing it in a very, very thoughtful way. We understand that the investment in infrastructure—roads and bridges—and transit is critical. If we don’t do that, then we will not have the thriving economy we know we’re all capable of. We’ve put those protections in place, and we are going to make—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Much better.

Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Selling Hydro One is wrong, and the people of this province will pay the price. It is going to kill jobs. It is going to hurt families. It pays for less than 3% of what’s needed for her transit promises. Once the Liberals start Ontario down this road, there is no going back.

Will the Premier do the right thing by the people of this province and pull the plug on this wrong-headed plan?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: It’s very interesting that the party of labour is at odds with the labour that works for Hydro One. The Power Workers’ Union supports keeping the company together. That’s how they see the strong jobs continuing.

I say to the member opposite, we are making a difficult decision. I will give it to her that it is a difficult decision, but we’re making a decision that’s not ideological. We’re looking at the problem. The problem is, we need funds to invest in transit and transportation infrastructure. We need that money immediately because if we don’t make those investments, we are not going to be able to have that infrastructure in place for the people of Ontario. We are not tied by an ideology that says, “Never change; never do anything differently; never learn from the past.” We’re doing all those things and we’re making these investments.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Final supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, the Premier is selling off Hydro One, but she won’t even say the words. It’s not optimization, it’s not unlocking value, it’s not maximization. So let’s finish with a really basic question: If the Premier is so convinced that it’s what Ontarians want and if she is so proud to do what even Mike Harris wouldn’t dare to do, why is she embarrassed to use the words “selling Hydro One” and “privatizing Hydro One”?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I talked to people over the weekend and I said, yes, we are going to open the ownership, broaden the ownership. That means we’re going to sell off in tranches. We’re going to put out a 15% sale to start out with to see what the market is. We’re going to do this in a very, very careful way. No single entity will own more than 10%. The government will retain control of 40%, and there will be protection of the regulation of the electricity system and the regulation of price controls—those will remain in place.

We’ve been very thoughtful about this. It’s a difficult decision, but you know what’s more difficult? Imagining a future in this province without the investments in infrastructure that are necessary.

Teachers’ labour disputes

Mr. Garfield Dunlop: My question today is for the Minister of Education.

Minister, 5,000 more students are not in the classroom today. Students in the Rainbow board join their fellow students in Durham, wanting to learn and wanting to get back to school. That’s 5,000 more families worried about their children.

Ontarians can’t afford your lack of leadership any longer. This is clearly not a local issue, as you insist it is. This boils down to your years of fiscal mismanagement over a decade—12 years you’ve been in power.

Minister, will you get these students back in the classroom and give them the education they deserve?

Hon. Liz Sandals: We believe firmly in negotiated collective agreements. That means that we need to be negotiating collective agreements at the central table. I want to assure the member that in fact, we continue to work with the mediator and we continue to work at negotiating at the central table, because we understand that the only way we’re ever going to resolve this is to get local agreements.

Now, I also understand that both school boards, the Durham board and the Rainbow board, have been very, very clear that they are available to negotiate at the local level. I would very much encourage the local unions to get back to the local table as well.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Garfield Dunlop: Minister, think about a grade 12 student in a calculus class. How will they be prepared for a university math class next year? Ontario students can’t afford to be out of the classroom. They can’t afford your lack of leadership.

Board by board, more children will be hurt, and you are causing nothing but damage to their educational experience. Students are now suffering—and I say it again, Mr. Speaker—because of your years and years of fiscal mismanagement.

Minister, how many more boards need to strike before you show leadership and stop blaming local issues?

Hon. Liz Sandals: I’m not quite sure what the member thinks we can do other than negotiate, but what I do know is what their suggestion was. Their platform was that they were going to fire 100,000 public servants. When we did the math, that worked out to 22,700 workers in Ontario school boards. That was their platform. I don’t think that would get you labour peace, firing 22,700 people. I actually think the way to get labour peace is to negotiate collective agreements.

I also believe this is something that we need to do both locally—I understand that the boards are willing to be at the table—and centrally. I assure you that central negotiations continue.

Privatization of public assets

Mr. Peter Tabuns: My question is to the Premier. The Premier wants to hide behind the words “optimization” and “rationalization,” but she won’t out and out say it—that she’s selling Hydro One to Bay Street for a quick buck. That’s what you’re doing, Premier.

Privatization is a big deal. It will completely change our hydro system. Once the Premier sells Hydro One, there is no going back. But the Premier kept Ontarians in the dark last summer about her plans. Why did the Premier keep Ontarians in the dark about her plans to sell Hydro One?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Well, the member opposite knows full well that we ran on a plan to review the assets of this province. We were very clear about it. We were clear about it in our platform—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you.

Finish, please.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: We were clear about it in our budget, and people knew that Ed Clark was going to be leading that process.

The member opposite lives in a riding where people very much understand the need to invest in transit, and they understand the needs because they are seeing the congestion in their own communities.

So I would say to the member opposite: What would your plan be? Because the fact is that you ran on the plan that we put forward, and the fact is that you are now saying you don’t go for that plan, but you haven’t presented an alternative.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Peter Tabuns: You don’t sell your house to build a fence around your property.

But going back to keeping people in the dark: The Premier is pushing the Ontario Ombudsman out of Hydro One. She’s pulling the drapes on the sunshine list. She’s ending freedom of information at Hydro One. She’s getting rid of transparency from the Financial Accountability Office.

The Premier didn’t run on this plan. She doesn’t have a mandate to privatize Hydro One, and now she’s making it less transparent and less accountable. This is the wrong decision. This is the wrong decision, and Ontarians will pay the price. Why did the Premier say “maximizing value of hydro,” when she really was planning to sell hydro?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: In terms of what we had put in front of the people of Ontario, let me just quote from the May 2014 budget—not the one that started with “As I was saying”—

Hon. Charles Sousa: The first one.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The first one. On page 20 it said, “The government will look at maximizing and unlocking value from assets it currently holds, including real estate holdings as well as crown corporations such as Ontario Power Generation, Hydro One and the Liquor Control Board.” We ran on that.

Then, our platform said, “Our Moving Ontario Forward plan includes a balanced and responsible approach to paying for these investments. The funds will be from dedicated sources of revenue ... asset optimization: $3.15 billion or 10.9%....” That’s what we ran on, and that’s what we’re doing.

La francophonie

M. Yvan Baker: Ma question est pour la ministre déléguée aux Affaires francophones. Ministre, vous savez que je suis fier de vivre dans une circonscription où il y a une communauté francophone qui est croissante. Il y a un ou deux mois, j’ai eu le privilège d’atteindre l’ouverture, le commencement, de la construction d’une école francophone dans ma communauté. Alors, je suis très fier de ça.

Pouvez-vous nous mettre à jour à propos de ces activités et de ce dossier?

Alors, oui, la semaine dernière, nous avons eu le plaisir d’annoncer un financement pour 62 projets soumis, pour un total de 1,4 million de dollars. Vous vous souviendrez qu’en décembre dernier, la première ministre avait annoncé à Sudbury une enveloppe pour la célébration des fêtes.

En effet, nous avons lancé le Programme Célébrations du 400 e de l’Ontario en décembre dernier pour aider les organisations et les municipalités à célébrer ce grand évènement. Je suis heureuse de rapporter que nous avons reçu un total de 110 applications. Nous les avons évaluées en regardant, entre autres, la nature et l’étendue du projet, ses retombées économiques, l’attrait de touristes ici en Ontario et le budget du projet.

Je voulais dire au membre de Nipissing que sa communauté va recevoir presque 50 000 $ pour célébrer les fêtes du 400 e .

Le Président (L’hon. Dave Levac): Merci.

Supplementary?

M. Yvan Baker: Merci, madame la Ministre. Je vous remercie pour votre enthousiasme à propos de ce sujet. Je suis fier de faire

partie d’une province où on sait reconnaître la richesse de notre diversité et qui va honorer, cette année, la richesse francophone de ses racines.

Ministre, je vous ai entendu mentionner qu’il y avait 62 projets approuvés. Pouvez-vous partager plus de détails avec cette Chambre?

L’hon. Madeleine Meilleur: Dans l’enveloppe de 1,4 million de dollars, il y a 62 projets qui sont répartis un peu partout dans la province. Il y a 21 dans le centre de l’Ontario, 23 dans l’est, 13 dans le nord et cinq dans l’ouest de l’Ontario.

Ces projets sont diversifiés et organisés par des groupes francophones, francophiles, anglophones, des Premières Nations et des nouveaux arrivants. Ils prendront plusieurs formes, telles que des conférences, des colloques, des expositions d’art, des galas, des pièces de théâtre, des festivals et des salons du livre.

Ce qu’il faut se rappeler, monsieur le Président, c’est que tous les projets sont ouverts et inclusifs. J’invite tous les membres de cette Assemblée à y participer.

D’ailleurs, la longue fin de semaine d’août, il y aura une grande célébration à Penetang. On reproduira les fêtes du 300 e anniversaire qui avaient lieu en 1921. On avait fêté le 300 e . Pourquoi pas en 1915? Parce qu’on était en pleine guerre. Alors, on va reproduire l’évènement du 300 e lors du 400 e .

Le Président (L’hon. Dave Levac): Merci beaucoup.

Hydro rates

Mr. Randy Hillier: My question is to the Premier.

Premier, last week, just one day after your budget, Goodyear announced that it would shutter a $500-million plant expansion in Napanee. Their explanation was simple: The soaring costs and the unreliability of electricity has made it too risky to invest in Ontario.

Instead, they have chosen, like so many other manufacturers, Mexico over the Wynne Ontario. That’s 1,000 new jobs and half a billion dollars in investment leaving Ontario.

Premier, will you finally admit that your failed economic policies and hydro policies are driving jobs, prosperity and investment out of our province?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, I would say to the member opposite that it’s an interesting commentary, given that we are the number one jurisdiction for foreign direct investment at this moment and that we’ve seen $4 billion worth of investment in the auto sector over the last six months. That’s not to say that there isn’t more to do. I completely understand that.

Whenever there’s a plant that shuts down and there are jobs that are lost, Mr. Speaker, that’s very, very hard on a community; it’s hard on individuals; it’s hard on a family. But we have to continue to work with businesses to bring them here to create the environment—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Prince Edward–Hastings, come to order.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: —a reliable energy system, which the member opposite will remember, in 2003 we did not have a reliable electricity system—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Leeds–Grenville is warned.

A one-sentence wrap-up, please.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: We needed to rebuild the electricity system that we inherited in 2003. We’ve done that, Mr. Speaker. It is reliable.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Randy Hillier: Speaker, I think the Premier’s math and stats teachers must have been on strike, as well, in her final year.

Goodyear has spoken with Hydro One and your government for months on end, Premier, to find a solution to your unreliable electricity system. It’s now clear your government has not found a solution and, instead, has driven another world-class business, another $500-million investment, another 1,000 new jobs out of our province.

You speak constantly about the investments you are making, but clearly the private sector doesn’t believe you. They are speaking and voting with their feet and their wallets, and investing capital and jobs anywhere but Ontario.

Premier, it’s time to be honest and to come clean with the people of Ontario. When and how will you fix your broken hydro system?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The Minister of Finance.

Hon. Charles Sousa: The fact of the matter is, Mr. Speaker, the operations that the member is speaking about are not closing—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Prince Edward–Hastings—second time.

Hon. Charles Sousa: In fact, they’re not expanding, as well. And that’s the issue: We need to find more ways to incite and encourage companies to invest in Ontario.

That is why the member opposite should support the budget that we brought forward. It talks a lot about how we can provide for greater incentives for companies to invest in Ontario. In fact, the minister responsible for economic development and trade is now at the Great Lakes Region talking about the things that Ontario does to provide for greater exports and greater manufacturing.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Prince Edward–Hastings is warned.

Wrap up.

Hon. Charles Sousa: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As a result, we’ve increased the Jobs and Prosperity Fund by another $200 million to create those incentives, and we have created now over half a million net new jobs in the province of Ontario since the recession, including in regions that the member talks about. We will continue to support industry.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Lanark will come to order.

New question.

Education funding

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: My question is to the Premier. Today, secondary school teachers in northern Ontario’s Rainbow District School Board joined Durham teachers in standing up to this government’s plan to force school closures, cut education and flip-flop on its commitment to keep class sizes manageable. Last week, elementary school teachers announced that they will be in a legal strike position on May 10.

While this government continues to dodge responsibility for mishandling our educational sector, an estimated 26,000 students are missing class and 2,400 teachers are now on the picket line. With teachers on strike, students out of school and parents across Ontario wondering whether or not their high school seniors will be going off to college or university this fall, will the Premier finally take responsibility for her government’s cuts to education?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Education.

Hon. Liz Sandals: I must say the NDP is nothing if not persistent. They really do have trouble with the definition of the word “cut.” So let me say once again, if you had $22.5 billion in education funding last year, and you have $22.5 billion in education funding this year, that is not a cut. That is stable funding—and less students, so it’s actually more per student.

But I want to talk about some of the capital, because the accusation is that somehow we’ve been stingy with capital money. We have invested $12.9 billion in school infrastructure since 2003. We have constructed 725 new schools, and more than 700 additions and renovations. We’ve put aside $750 million for school consolidations and we’ve doubled the funding for school renewals.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: Speaker, again to the Premier: The Liberal government continues to deny any cuts to education in Ontario. Along with ignoring inflation, last week this government actually announced their plans to spend $248 million less in education in 2014-15 than it had originally promised. That is nearly a $250-million in-year cut to education this year alone. All the while, the Liberals are telling Ontario families that education funding in this province is stable. If a freeze isn’t a cut, and a cut isn’t a cut, can the Premier please explain what she thinks is a cut to funding?

Hon. Liz Sandals: I’d be quite happy to explain what happened, because in fact there is an impact of having declining enrolment. That means that we need to spend less money for more students. What that’s actually allowed us to do is to reinvest in the students who are there. As I’ve said hundreds of times, I think, we don’t believe in investing in empty space. We believe in investing in the students who are actually there. So what we have done is actually increased—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Carry on.

Hon. Liz Sandals: So what has actually happened this year, Speaker, is that in fact we are just flowing the same amount of money as in last year’s GSN, but what it means is that we are spending more money per pupil. And that is true in both Durham—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you.

New question.

Emergency services

Ms. Eleanor McMahon: Ma question s’adresse au ministre de la Sécurité communautaire et des Services correctionnels.

Minister, since 2003, Ontario’s crime rate has dropped by 37% and the violent crime rate has dropped by 27%. Despite this, in many communities across our province, the cost of policing continues to rise. Part of the reason for this is because many individuals and families are confronted with issues that require broader solutions than a simple emergency response. I see this in my own riding of Burlington, where we are ably served by the Halton Regional Police Service.

Problems like elder abuse, domestic violence and addiction need a comprehensive strategy to address their root cause. As a result, it is incumbent on our province to help communities find solutions to problems that confront them in order to reduce the costs of emergency services and ultimately produce lasting results.

Mr. Speaker, through you: Can the minister please explain what solution he proposes to better address the social issues that confront municipalities and front-line responders in order to reduce the demand on emergency services?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: I want to thank the member from Burlington for asking a very important question in this House today.

Speaker, as we work to build stronger, safer and healthier communities right across Ontario, one of the key challenges is how to address social issues at their root; in other words, addressing chronic issues in our communities.

Often, we think of our response to crime, safety and health emergencies in terms of police, fire and paramedics. These services are extremely important, but we also need to look at proactive community engagement to address the causes of social issues and reduce the cost of emergency responses in our communities. To do this, Speaker, we must bring a variety of groups to the table. That is the aim of our community safety hub model.

A community safety hub would be made up of community and social service providers from fields such as health care, education, addiction, policing, probation and justice workers, children’s services and First Nations issues. These team members would work together and find collaborative approaches to solve issues in the community.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Eleanor McMahon: Thank you, Minister, for that response.

Residents in my riding are pleased to see that you are proposing a model for community safety that will serve to better address social issues, not just in my community of Burlington, but right across our province. This could also help reduce the number of calls for emergency services, which will play an important

part in containing costs.

But if the hub model is being proposed by the province, it risks becoming a one-size-fits-all solution, which would ultimately be ineffective. Without bringing together the right team of community members to address the wide variety of social issues confronting individuals and families in our province, it would be impossible to create lasting improvements. After all, the social issues that members of my community face are not the same as the ones that confront different communities across our province.

Mr. Speaker, through you: Can the minister please explain to the Legislature how the hub model will be effective across the province with Ontarians facing such a wide variety of issues?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: The member raises a very important point. That’s the incredible thing about community safety hubs: In order for them to be effective, they have to be developed by the individual communities so that issues confronting them are front and centre as being set by them. I’m pleased to say that this approach is already working in our communities across the province.

Most recently, as the Speaker would know, Brantford initiated a hub within its community as well.

In fact, the Gateway Hub in Nipissing was recognized recently by the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association for its innovative approach to building a safer and healthier community. Partners in Nipissing’s Gateway Hub are working together in the community to identify high-risk individuals or families and helping them to achieve healthier and safer lifestyles. This will lead to lasting outcomes while reducing the demand on emergency services.

We are working with other ministries, as well, to make sure these hubs work effectively across the province.

Health care funding

Mr. Bill Walker: My question is to the Premier. Premier, 140,000 new patients enter Ontario’s health care system every year. More patients means more resources are needed. Your minister has said time and again, “We are ... and will be, increasing our funding to health care....” Yet when the federal Conservatives increased their health transfer by $652 million, you put only $598 million of that into health care.

Premier, can you tell the people of Ontario where 54 million health care dollars were funnelled?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: The member opposite knows, having looked at the budget, that our health care expenditures for this year, next year and following years will be increasing. They will be increasing, in part, to reflect the growing population and the changing demographics of this province, but they will be increasing to allow us to invest in those important areas where we need to; for example, in home and community care, where we made the commitment a couple of years ago, in fact in 2013, that we would increase by 5% each year the investments in home and community care. We have been doing that for a number of years. We’re continuing to do that into the future as well.

I think the member opposite will appreciate some of the comments from our stakeholders—and I’d be happy to reference some of those in the supplementary—in terms of their reflections on the investments that we’re making, as detailed in the budget.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Bill Walker: I’ll try back to the Premier again, Mr. Speaker.

You love to bash the federal government, but when they pull through, you can’t admit it.

Your current funding levels have already resulted in nurses being fired, services being shut down and CCACs turning away patients. This cut of $54 million from your health budget is the equivalent of 9,000 long-term-care beds, home care for 28,000 patients or 7,000 new nurses.

The people of Ontario can’t afford your cuts to health care. Premier, what happened to your promise to ensure that you wouldn’t cut health care, compromise patient care or nursing jobs?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: The member opposite does know that we’re not cutting health care. In fact, the opposite is true: We’re increasing it this year—we’ve outlined that in the budget—as we’ve been increasing the health care budget every year since 2003, when we first came into office.

I want to say one of the items that I’m most proud of in the budget, which hasn’t got any attention, I think, thus far, that I want to reference—I’m going to quote Dr. Dave Williams from the Ontario Health Innovation Council. His quote is, “The Ontario Health Innovation Council is thrilled with the announcement of the creation of the $20-million Health Innovation Fund. This will ensure that Ontario will become a fertile ground for the development of innovative health technologies that will create economic growth and value in the system.”

We have the Ontario Home Care Association as well talking about how pleased they are with the budget, “because we know it will help us to serve more Ontarians and keep them safe and independent at home.”

Health care funding

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is to the Premier. On Friday, I was in Thunder Bay to host a round table on health care. I spoke to many people on different parts of the front-line services, and what I heard was absolutely appalling.

Since the beginning of the year, there have regularly been more patients than available beds. In fact, this was the case for about 28 straight days—almost a month—at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre; 28 beds have been closed at the geriatric unit and 11 RPN positions have been cut.

Why is this Premier refusing to take responsibility for the mess her short-sighted cuts have made to the health care system not only in Thunder Bay, but across our province?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: We know that we’ve had challenges in Thunder Bay at the hospital there and in the community. We addressed those last year to the satisfaction of the hospital, the LHIN and those engaged in the health care sector in Thunder Bay, but there is more work to be done, and we’ll continue to do that important work in Thunder Bay, as we do across the province

But it’s important that when we reference the changes in health care, we also stick to the facts. I have to get back to Lakeridge Health and the comment that was made by the opposition critic last week. I actually have in my hands now the letter from the CEO and president, Kevin Empey, from Lakeridge Health, who responds specifically to what I would describe, based on the letter, as the erroneous comments that were made in the Legislature last week. He talked about—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Answer?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: He says, “It was with great disappointment that I read in Hansard”—he’s speaking to the member from Nickel Belt—“your comments about our hospital, particularly the services”—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you.

New question.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, my supplementary—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Sorry, supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: With the introduction of the right-wing Mike Harris-style budget the Liberals announced on Thursday, the people of the north and across the province can only expect more health care services to become worse.

The hospital is already facing a $6-million—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. Order.

Sorry for the interruption. Carry on.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The hospital is already facing a $6-million budget deficit. There is no doubt that further cuts, which are in that budget, will come to nurses and other front-line workers.

Nurses are being forced to provide care in hallways due to constant gridlock in that hospital. Patient care is at risk. Why is this government attempting to balance the books on the backs of patients in the Thunder Bay hospital and around this province?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: The member opposite knows that we’re transforming our health care system, and we’re not cutting health care; we’re increasing it.

But the critic for health, the member for Nickelback last week—I’m quoting from the letter—

Interjections.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Nickel Belt.

The member referenced—this is the letter from the president of Lakeridge Health. Speaking to the member: “You referenced human resource adjustments made in our laboratory program and said they are having a negative impact on patients in our cancer centre. I wish you had phoned me first to verify the details because the assertion above is demonstrably inaccurate.

“First - the people. The implication is that people were recently put out of a job, and that is false.... Nobody was ‘let go’.

“Second - the quality of care. You asserted these changes in our laboratory program are having a ‘devastating impact on the quality of care’ offered”—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Answer?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: —“at our cancer centre.” This cancer centre “has regularly ranked in the top three in the province since 2012.”

The letter goes on.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you.

Hon. James J. Bradley: The NDP closed 52 hospitals.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. I just want to remind the deputy House leader that he’s not allowed to do drive-by heckling.

New question.

Forest firefighting

Ms. Daiene Vernile: My question is for the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. Ontario is home to about 71 million hectares of forest and about 85 billion trees. Our forests provide both environmental and economic benefits to our province. They support jobs, absorb carbon and provide habitat to a variety of species that call Ontario home.

To protect our forests and ensure public safety, each spring we prepare for the forest fire season. We’ve heard reports that the first fires of the year are already happening in northwestern Ontario.

Fighting forest fires, we can all agree, is a top priority for our government. Could the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry please explain to this House what his ministry is doing to ensure Ontario is prepared to respond to potential forest fire emergencies in 2015?

Hon. Bill Mauro: I want to thank the member for the question.

It is already, believe it or not, forest firefighting season, certainly in northern Ontario and across much of the rest of the province. It’s here, and we need to make sure the communities that are represented by this service know that we are, in fact, prepared.

Ontario’s fire program is recognized around the world for its ability to prepare for and respond to risks related to public safety and the protection of our natural resources. The hiring of Ontario fire rangers began earlier this month, and other required preparedness activities are already under way, including training and equipment checks in anticipation of wild-land fire activity. By early May, we will have a full complement of over 760 trained MNRF firefighters, with a further 320 firefighters available from the private sector to assist us as required.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Answer?

Hon. Bill Mauro: In addition, we have nine heavy water bombers, three Twin Otter medium water bombers, 13 initial attack helicopters—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you.

Hon. Bill Mauro: —seven bird dog aircraft and 10—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you.

Supplementary?

Ms. Daiene Vernile: Thank you to the minister for his response and his dedication to ensuring Ontario is prepared for the forest fire season.

Last week our government introduced the 2015 budget, our plan for building Ontario up. In response, the leader of the third party made some very startling accusations. She told the Sudbury Star, “Emergency forest firefighting is being cut.... In 2012-13 it had a budget of $180 million, then it went down to $79.4 million. Now it’s going down to $69.8 million.”

These numbers are very startling, and many Ontarians who heard that quote from the leader of the third party might be led to believe that our province is reducing our commitment to fighting forest fires. Could the minister please explain to the members of this House exactly how our government funds emergency forest firefighting?

Hon. Bill Mauro: I want to thank the member for the question. It is important to set the record straight and address the fearmongering that’s been going on across northern Ontario by the leader of the third party. This is exactly the same approach that the previous leader of the NDP undertook back in 2007.

The quote was this: “In 2012-13, it had a budget of $180 million. Then it went down to $80 million. Now it’s going down to $69 million.” Of course, that was probably the worst firefighting season in the history of northern Ontario or Ontario as a province.

The leader of the third party should know—and if she doesn’t, she should do a little bit more homework—that there is always a number for emergency forest firefighting in the budget, and then on an as-needed basis. If you should have a severe forest fire season, you go back, the Treasury Board gives you the money overnight, things happen and we’re ready. This is fearmongering at its worst.

The Minister of Health just finished expressing his comments in terms of what happened with the health care file in Sudbury. The leader of the third party did the same thing in Sudbury when it came to emergency forest fire preparedness. This is wrong, fearmongering at its worst, and I felt—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you.

New question.

Housing Services Corp.

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: Speaker, my question is to the Premier.

Under your government the debt has doubled and the waiting list for social housing has grown to 165,000 families. Ontario can’t afford to waste social housing dollars, but that’s exactly what’s happening. Every dollar the Housing Services Corp. spends is a dollar that’s intended to build, repair and operate social housing. It’s a public dollar taken from social housing providers by overcharging them for natural gas and insurance.

Premier, will you allow social housing providers to opt out of the Housing Services Corp. so they can save millions of dollars for their social housing?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Ted McMeekin: I think we’ve answered that question a couple of times already, but let me take another stab at it.

The Housing Services Corp. was established by the official opposition when they were actually in government. They put in place a pooling mechanism to service municipalities and to provide savings. That’s worked reasonably well. There are some concerns that have been raised by the member opposite which I concur with, and we need to look at those. That’s why we initiated some changes with the Housing Services board and are currently undertaking with them an independent review of their operation.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: My question is back to the Premier—and I would just say to the minister: Not only did you not answer today; you’ve never answered it before when I asked.

Last week’s budget did not contain a single new dollar for social housing. We have put forward a solution that would give housing providers millions more for affordable housing without adding significantly to your deficit: simply allowing housing providers to purchase natural gas and insurance at the best price that they can get rather than forcing them to buy through the Housing Services Corp. Premier, will you agree to let them opt out so those millions can go to help families in need of social housing?

Hon. Ted McMeekin: Again, Mr. Speaker, when you talk about housing solutions, their solution in government was to download housing to municipalities. We’re still working as hard as we can to recover from that mess that they created. And now they’re pulling the fire alarm on a fire that they set when they put the Housing Services Corp. in place.

We’re going to do this right. There are some legitimate concerns that have been raised and the member opposite knows we’re addressing them. When the report comes in from the independent consultant, if there are changes that need to be made, you can be sure we’ll make them.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Order. Start the clock.

Workplace safety

Ms. Jennifer K. French: My question is to the Minister of Labour. On February 8, a Durham firefighting student named Adam Brunt lost his life in an accident during unregulated private fire safety training. Tragically this was not an isolated incident, as volunteer firefighter Gary Kendall was killed during the same type of training less than five years before.

Following Adam’s death, I called on the minister to take action and regulate this industry before another accident occurred. But the response that I received was nothing but a laundry list of existing legislation that does not apply to these firefighter trainees. These were accidents, but if we allow the situation to continue it becomes neglect. Will the minister take action and commit to regulating the private safety training industry today?

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: Certainly our condolences go out to the families and to the colleagues of the people who were tragically killed as they were training to ensure that they had the skills necessary to ensure that when they were called upon to respond as first responders, they indeed had those skills; they’d taken that training.

I did receive correspondence from the member opposite, and I tried to provide her, I think, with the best advice that I had received on the best way to proceed with this. There’s a number of angles to this. Obviously, there’s an educational component. There’s a labour component. There’s a training, colleges and universities component as well.

We’re taking it extremely seriously in a number of ways. We know that we have to come to grips with this issue in a way that ensures that those people who choose to enter the field of emergency preparedness are indeed able to train in a safe environment.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Jennifer K. French: Tomorrow is the National Day of Mourning. It is a day when we remember those we’ve lost in workplace accidents and commit to doing everything in our power to prevent future accidents from occurring.

Adam Brunt was not yet a worker, but he was going to be. Tomorrow, his loss will be mourned.

Speaker, I will ask again: Will the minister commit to regulating the private fire safety training industry before another senseless and preventable loss occurs?

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: I do appreciate the member drawing attention to the day of mourning for all workers in the province of Ontario and, indeed, across this country, who have lost their lives when they simply went to work in the morning.

I can tell the member opposite that the issue is still under investigation. The incidents that took place, in the last incident—certainly the details are being investigated in the way they should. We are working with training, colleges and universities to see what more can be done.

As I said, these individuals need to have the best training they can possibly have. We need to ensure that that training is done in as safe as possible an environment as we possibly can.

Correction of record

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): A point of order, the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.

Hon. Bill Mauro: I’d like to correct my record. I said earlier—when mentioning that I believe the leader of the third party was fearmongering about forest firefighting, I referenced comments that she had made in Sudbury; I meant to say comments she had made in Thunder Bay.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you.

Visitors

Mr. Jagmeet Singh: I want to introduce in the House—they may still be here; some of them may have left—members of the Canadian Beverage Association: Ron Soreanu, John O’Leary, Neil Antymis, John Challinor, Jim Goetz, Brandon Ashmore, Carolyn Fell and Alison Bing.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I suspect deeply that the former Prime Minister misses question period.

There are no deferred votes. This House stands recessed until 1 p.m. this afternoon.

The House recessed from 1158 to 1300.

Members’ Statements

Minister’s comments

Ms. Lisa M. Thompson: I rise today to draw your awareness to a very serious situation. I think all of you in this House would agree that there’s nothing more honourable than being elected by constituents to represent them here at the Ontario Legislative Assembly. We cannot take that responsibility for granted, nor should we be playing games with it. Unfortunately, there are a number of people from Goderich, from my riding of Huron–Bruce, who are furious with a particular member who has chosen to play games with a devastating event that wreaked havoc on their community in August 2011.

Last week, in response to a sincere question, the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change chose to possibly mock me by saying, “If you do not support this cap-and-trade, would you like to expose your constituents to another tornado?” I’m paraphrasing a notch, Speaker, but that was the gist of it. The people in Goderich are furious, and they say, “How dare an elected official make fun of a devastating event that absolutely tore a town and families apart?”

Speaker, I expect better of the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, and I do ask sincerely for an apology for the town of Goderich.

Riding of Windsor–Tecumseh

Mr. Percy Hatfield: Good afternoon, Speaker, and welcome to this local newscast. Let’s start off with a good-news story: For the eighth time in the past 10 years, the town of Tecumseh has ranked within the top 10 of Canada’s safest communities. Statistics Canada does the ranking, and for safe communities with more than 10,000 residents, Tecumseh is rated number 6 in the country.

Essex county Warden Tom Bain is recovering from a nasty spill while jogging one of his racehorses. Warden Bain suffered four broken ribs, a crushed collarbone and a broken bone in his back. Tom, we need you. Get well soon. We’re thinking of you up here at Queen’s Park.

And we’re thinking of the mayor and councillors in Leamington as well, Speaker. Condolences go out to the family of Leamington Councillor Rick Atkin. Rick died suddenly of natural causes last week, and we will miss him in our region.

Tomorrow, as you know, is the National Day of Mourning. Too many workers continue to be killed on the job. We must do more to make workplace safety a priority in this province. Ceremonies highlighting this will be held across Ontario tomorrow. I’ll be here and will miss the one in Windsor, but later this year I hope to introduce a private member’s bill that will call for the lowering of flags at all schools, hospitals, municipal buildings, colleges and universities on the Day of Mourning.

That, Speaker, is the latest news from Windsor–Tecumseh. Back to you on the anchor desk.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. I’m kind of liking this.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Mrs. Kathryn McGarry: Today I rise to discuss a constituent of mine who faces a daily battle to breathe. Dean Sellers is a resident of Cambridge who suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, which inhibits his ability to live a normal life.

COPD is a disease causing chronically poor airflow to the lungs, making it extremely difficult to breathe. COPD tends to worsen over time.

The Ontario Lung Association states that over 850,000 Ontarians aged 35 or older suffer from COPD; that includes my son Rory, now age 35. They struggle with each breath they take. The Ontario Lung Association is raising awareness about COPD and encouraging Ontarians to have a spirometry test, which is effective in early diagnosis—key to treatment later on.

Dean’s COPD has deteriorated and now he has just 14% lung capacity. He requires an oxygen tank to breathe, but even then it’s difficult.

Dean’s family organized a fundraiser on April 18 at the Cambridge Newfoundland Club to raise money to help him and his wife, Sue, to cope with this disease. Dean is currently awaiting a double lung transplant, and he is looking forward, as he told me that evening, to spending time with his children and grandchildren for many years to come.

Dean’s story reminds us of the importance of organ donation. Only 25% of Ontarians are registered as organ donors, and I want to encourage all Ontarians to sign up today at beadoner.ca. One organ donor can save eight lives.

Soldiers of Song

Mr. Randy Pettapiece: This weekend, I had the privilege of attending the Soldiers of Song performance at the Listowel Legion. Their performance was a tribute to the Dumbells, the pioneers of sketch comedy. In 1917, around Vimy Ridge, a group of soldiers came together to form a comedy and musical troop called the Dumbells. They entertained Canadian troops during the First World War with humorous songs and sketches about life in the trenches.

After the war, the Dumbells toured Canada as professional entertainers. They became the first-ever Canadian production to score a hit on Broadway. The Dumbells’ journey is now being celebrated in Dr. Jason Wilson’s musical play Soldiers of Song.

Soldiers of Song is a Canadian theatre show that travels around the world celebrating the Dumbells. The show was a wonderful tribute to the soldiers who entertained their comrades and boosted morale through the First World War.

I would like to thank the Listowel Legion and the North Perth arts council for bringing the show to Perth–Wellington.

I would also like to recognize Listowel native Andrew Knowlton, who performs in the show. I would encourage everyone to go and see the Soldiers of Song and learn more about these Canadian entertainers.

Marie Charette-Poulin

Mr. Glenn Thibeault: I rise today on behalf of the people of Sudbury to recognize Senator Marie Charette-Poulin, who stepped down as senator for the northern Ontario region on April 17 due to health reasons.

Senator Charette-Poulin was born and raised in Sudbury and, of course, in Haileybury as well. Before being appointed to the Senate in 1995, she had an exemplary career as a public servant. She founded the CBC’s northern Ontario French services, as well as the radio station CBON. She later went on to serve, among other roles, as the vice-president of the CBC and the Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council. In the Senate, she was always an advocate for northern Ontario and in particular our francophone community in the north. In 2006, she became the first francophone woman to be president of the Liberal Party of Canada.

Merci à la sénatrice Charette-Poulin pour donner la parole à la communauté franco-ontarienne au nord de l’Ontario. Les gens de Sudbury et du nord de l’Ontario vous remercient pour vos années de service.

Mr. Speaker, there are many events that I could speak about Senator Charette-Poulin attending, but the one that I think was most important was the one last year which all of us attended at the co-operative funeral hall: the renaming of a new memorial for all of our fallen soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan. That was something that Senator Charette-Poulin was very proud to attend, and we all thank her for her years of public service.

Leadercast

Mr. Steve Clark: I rise to celebrate a great initiative that has truly captured the hearts of leaders of Leeds–Grenville. On May 8, hundreds of people from my riding and beyond will gather at Centennial Road Church to take

part in Leadercast 2015.

I’ve had the privilege of attending the Brockville Leadercast in the past. It is truly an inspiring day. Speaker, that remarkable turnout that we had, the 400 people, is a real tribute to the hard work of local organizers, but it also says something about our community. Leeds–Grenville is renowned as a place where people roll up their sleeves to support a good cause. The reason is, we’re blessed with so many people ready to accept the responsibility of leadership. They come from all walks of life and contribute in many ways, but they share a common trait: the desire and courage to be a champion for positive change.

I’m a great supporter of Leadercast because the message from the incredible lineup of speakers is all about empowering people to be even more effective leaders. This year’s theme, “The Brave Ones,” has speakers that include Peyton Manning, Malala Yousafzai and Rudy Giuliani.

Unfortunately, a previous commitment has caused me not to be able to attend this year’s Leadercast, but to those who are attending, I want to thank you for taking time to be involved. I’m so excited to see what great things Leadercast 2015 inspires you to do.

Rail safety

M me France Gélinas: I’m happy to rise again today to draw attention to my constituents in Gogama, who are trying to work through the aftermath of the bitumen spill that occurred in their community on March 7.

For people down here, Gogama is easy to forget, but for the people of Gogama, as the ice starts to melt and the water in the bay shows signs of oil floating on top, the worries are constant. Local citizens have questions about their community’s future.

As a community on the shore of the Makami River and the beautiful Lake Minisinakwa, their future lies in that water’s health and its ability to continue to support surrounding wildlife and their environment. The people of Gogama are asking for support from their provincial government. They want help with the environmental assessment and all this data and the

interpretation of it. They want help putting a dollar figure on their loss. They want their provincial governments to pay attention to them and acknowledge that they exist, that they are struggling right now and that they need help.

Right now, Gogama, all by itself, is trying to hold CN to account—a community of 200 strong holding a multi-million-dollar corporation to account. This is a David-and-Goliath battle. The provincial government needs to step in. It is the responsibility of the provincial government to hold CN to account.

Kingston Gets Active Month

Ms. Sophie Kiwala: I rise today to tell you about a wonderful initiative in my community called Kingston Gets Active Month. Sponsored by Canadian Sport for Life Kingston and funded by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, the program challenges us in four simple ways to eat healthier, connect more, be more mindful and get more active.

“Being healthy” could mean using more local fresh fruits and vegetables for their nutrients and drinking more water.

“Connecting more” might mean volunteering with an organization or a charity, or joining a YMCA or sports club.

If you work behind a desk, “being mindful” might involve getting up and changing positions every few minutes.

“Being more active” could mean leaving the car at home or walking or using a bike instead, or it could mean squeezing a walk into your work day.

This month, I encouraged members of the public to join me on an hour pre-lunchtime walk and chat, and I hosted two public hikes at a local conservation area. I feel wonderful having done it, and I’m proud to say that I’ve done almost 7,000 steps today. I’m determined to try and continue. I’m happy that so many local businesses and agencies joined in to offer free activities for people of all ages during Kingston Gets Active Month.

I want to congratulate the wonderful Canadian Sport for Life team—Lara Paterson, Mary Jane Gordon, Denita Arthurs, Chris Eveleigh, Ashley Johnson, Kristin Côté, Linda Whitfield and Jennifer Ashbury—who have worked so hard to foster life-long health and wellness by increasing the opportunities for play and physical activity in our great community. Merci.

Earthquake in Nepal

Mr. Shafiq Qaadri: I rise on behalf of all members of the Legislature in all three parties to extend our heartfelt prayers, condolences and pledges of support to the people of Nepal. As you will know, very recently they suffered a once-in-a-century-level earthquake, apparently 7.8 on the Richter scale. The imagery and the videos and the testimonials are simply heartbreaking.

So far, we understand that the death toll exceeds 5,000. The damage to the cultural artifacts, to the buildings, to the already modest infrastructure of the country and its capital, Katmandu, as well as surrounding areas, is perhaps of epic proportions.

I can tell you that right in Etobicoke we house GlobalMedic, which is perhaps an echo of the DART disaster relief team. They have also dispatched food and aid and people on the ground and personnel and water purification etc.

I would simply say, on behalf once again of the people of Ontario to the people of Nepal: We stand with you in your time of need.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I thank all members for their statements.

Before I move on to routine proceedings, I want to bring clarification again to the group. In rotation of statements, that is a routine proceedings process. For clarity purposes, we do a rotation under agreement. If someone else wants to move—the Speaker does not have the authority to make changes in that process. If someone else does not stand up as a result of that—and I inadvertently called it a game of chicken, so that you understand—if no one stands up, statements are finished.

So to be clear, if you seek it, I’m giving you the advice to why not just send a note to somebody saying, “Would you mind if I?” It would be beneficial because if it gets into a game of chicken, we could be losing many statements like the ones we’ve heard today. So I’m asking for your co-operation in staying with the routine proceedings unless there’s some reason that you are compelled that have you to do that.

Petitions

Ontario Drug Benefit Program

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Huron–Bruce is chomping at the bit.

Ms. Lisa M. Thompson: I slipped the clutch there; that’s what happened. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Health Canada has approved the use of Soliris for patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), an ultra-rare, chronic and life-threatening genetic condition that progressively damages vital organs, leading to heart attack, stroke and kidney failure; and

“Whereas Soliris, the first and only pharmaceutical treatment in Canada for the treatment of aHUS, has allowed patients to discontinue plasma and dialysis therapies, and has been shown to improve kidney function and enable successful kidney transplant; and

“Whereas the lack of public funding for Soliris is especially burdensome on the families of Ontario children and adults battling this catastrophic disease;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“Instruct the Ontario government to immediately provide Soliris as a choice to patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome and their health care providers in Ontario through public funding.”

I totally agree with this petition: I’ll affix my signature and send it to the table with Ishika. Thank you very much.

Off-road vehicles

M me France Gélinas: I have this petition that was collected by Aki, Joanne and Lilian Tarvudd from Dew Drop Road in my riding. It reads as follows:

“Whereas the NDP MPP for Timiskaming–Cochrane, John Vanthof, has introduced Bill 46 in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario so that UTVs (utility task vehicles) would be treated like all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) by the Highway Traffic Act;....

“Whereas this bill will have positive economic impact on clubs, manufacturers, dealers and rental shops and will boost revenues to communities promoting this outdoor activity;”

They “petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To vote in favour of MPP Vanthof’s Bill 46 to allow UTVs the same access as ATVs in the Highway Traffic Act.”

I fully support this petition, will affix my name to it and ask Colton to bring it to the Clerk.

Student safety

Mrs. Kathryn McGarry: I have a petition addressed here to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas there are no mandatory requirements for teachers and school volunteers to have completed CPR training in Ontario;

“Whereas the primary responsibility for the care and safety of students rests with each school board and its employees;

“Whereas the safety of children in elementary schools in Ontario should be paramount;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To work in conjunction with all Ontario school boards to ensure that adequate CPR training is available to school employees and volunteers.”

I agree with the petition, affix my signature and give it to page Jae Min.

Bodies Revealed exhibit

Mr. Jack MacLaren: Danielle Zhu and Jane Pang of the Falun Gong have asked me to read the following petition:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Bodies Revealed in Niagara Falls is displaying dead, skinned human bodies in different poses that may have been murdered by police in China;

“Whereas the organizers cannot produce any consent papers from relatives and even disclaim that they cannot independently verify that [the bodies] do not belong to persons executed while incarcerated in Chinese prisons;

“Whereas Ontario residents want these bodies seized for investigations and for family reunification;

“Whereas the Ontario chief coroner refuses to seize the bodies because the deaths occurred outside the province;

“Whereas states like Hawaii have passed legislation prohibiting the display of dead human bodies (including plastinated bodies) for commercial profit. Legislators stated: ‘While the exhibit is informative, its educational or health-related values do not outweigh the moral and ethical concerns regarding the possible exploitation of human beings.’;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“Demand the chief coroner to seize the bodies immediately and not allow them to leave Ontario;

“Pass legislation to prohibit the display of dead human bodies (including plastinated bodies) for commercial profit.”

I agree with this petition. I will affix my signature and give it to page Madison to take to the desk.

Ontario Northland Transportation Commission

Mr. John Vanthof: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas northern Ontario communities are connected across long distances by bus service; and

“Whereas the ONTC bus service is the only form of public transportation available to many northern Ontario residents; and

“Whereas reduction of customer service and the closure of stations will cause deterioration of the overall system of public transportation of passengers and goods in northeastern Ontario; and

“Whereas the government of Ontario committed to providing enhanced bus service to alleviate the loss of the ONTC passenger rail service;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

I wholeheartedly agree, sign my signature and give it page Afiyah.

Water fluoridation

Mrs. Kathryn McGarry: I have a petition here addressed to the Ontario Legislative Assembly.

“Whereas fluoride is a mineral that exists naturally in virtually all water supplies, even the ocean; and

“Whereas scientific studies conducted during the past 70 years have consistently shown that the fluoridation of community water supplies is a safe and effective means of preventing dental decay, and is a public health measure endorsed by more than 90 national and international health organizations; and

“Whereas dental decay is the second-most frequent condition suffered by children, and is one of the leading causes of absences from school; and

“Whereas Health Canada has determined that the optimal concentration of fluoride in municipal drinking water for dental health is 0.7 mg/L, providing optimal dental health benefits, and well below the maximum acceptable concentrations; and

“Whereas the decision to add fluoride to municipal drinking water is a patchwork of individual choices across Ontario, with municipal councils often vulnerable to the influence of misinformation, and studies of questionable or no scientific merit;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“That the ministries of the government of Ontario adopt the number one recommendation made by the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health in a 2012 report on oral health in Ontario, and amend all applicable legislation and regulations to make the fluoridation of municipal drinking water mandatory in all municipal water systems across the province of Ontario.”

I agree with this petition, affix my name and give it to page Ethan.

Pesticides

Mr. Todd Smith: This is on behalf of many in our agricultural community.

“To the Legislative Assembly:

“Whereas the government of Ontario is proposing to make regulatory changes to the Pesticides Act that will have a considerable negative impact on virtually all of Ontario’s corn and soybean farmers;

“Whereas comments on the proposed regulations need to be submitted by May 7, 2015; yet the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plainly states on their website that ‘[t]he optimum planting day [for corn] is on or before May 7 in southwestern Ontario and May 10 in central and eastern Ontario. Delaying planting past the optimum date can result in yield reductions averaging about 1% per day of delay in May.’;

“Whereas the ministry’s website also says: ‘The highest yields of soybeans are obtained from early plantings, generally the first 10 days of May. Later plantings are likely to incur significant reductions in yield ... ”;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“Instruct the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change to extend the comment period on EBR posting number 012-3733 beyond the planting season for corn and soybeans as defined by Agricorp planting deadlines to allow farmers to farm, and be properly consulted on these proposed regulations that will significantly impact their livelihoods.”

I agree with this. I will sign it and send it to the table with page Joshua.

Hospital services

Mr. Percy Hatfield: I have a petition addressed to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“We request that the Legislative Assembly of Ontario keep the obstetrics unit open at Leamington District Memorial Hospital.”

I fully agree, Speaker. I will sign my name and give it to page Joshua to bring up to the desk.

Student safety

Mrs. Cristina Martins: I rise this afternoon in the House to read this petition that is addressed to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas there are no mandatory requirements for teachers and school volunteers to have completed CPR training in Ontario;

“Whereas the primary responsibility for the care and safety of students rests with each school board and its employees;

“Whereas the safety of children in elementary schools in Ontario should be paramount;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To work in conjunction with all Ontario school boards to ensure that adequate CPR training is available to school employees and volunteers.”

I agree with this petition. I’m going to affix my name to it and send it down to the table with Afiyah.

Off-road vehicles

Mr. John Yakabuski: I have a petition here for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas it has been over a decade since regulation 316/03 of the Highway Traffic Act has been updated to recognize new classes of off-road vehicles and a motion to do so passed on November 7, 2013, with unanimous support of the provincial Legislature;

“Whereas owners of two-up ATVs and side-by-side UTVs deserve clarity in knowing which roadways and trails are legal for use of these off-road vehicles; and

“Whereas owners should be able to legally use their vehicles to access woodlots, trails and hunting and fishing destinations;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“That private member’s Bill 58, which seeks to update the Highway Traffic Act to include new classes of all-terrain and utility task vehicles, receive swift passage through the Legislature.”

I support this petition, affix my name to it and send it down with page Ryan.

Alzheimer’s disease

Ms. Peggy Sattler: This is a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are progressive, degenerative diseases of the brain that cause thinking, memory and physical functioning to become seriously impaired;

“Whereas there is no known cause or cure for this devastating illness; and

“Whereas Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias also take their toll on hundreds of thousands of families and care partners; and

“Whereas Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias affect more than 200,000 Ontarians today, with an annual total economic burden rising to $15.7 billion by 2020; and

“Whereas the cost related to the health care system is in the billions and only going to increase, at a time when our health care system is already facing enormous financial challenges; and

“Whereas there is work under way to address the need, but no coordinated or comprehensive approach to tackling the issues; and

“Whereas there is an urgent need to plan and raise awareness and understanding about Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias for the sake of improving the quality of life of the people it touches;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To approve the development of a comprehensive Ontario dementia plan that would include the development of strategies in primary health care, in health promotion and prevention of illness, in community development, in building community capacity and care partner engagement, in caregiver support and investments in research.”

I totally support this petition. I affix my name to it and will give it to page Jae Min to take to the table.

Terry Fox Day

Ms. Soo Wong: I have a petition addressed to the Legislative Assembly.

“Whereas on March 26, Bill 61, the Terry Fox Day Act, passed second reading with unanimous support from the Ontario Legislature;

“Whereas if passed at third reading before the Legislature rises in June, Bill 61 will proclaim the second Sunday after Labour Day in 2015, September 20, as Ontario’s first Terry Fox Day;

“Whereas the second Sunday after Labour Day is the day on which the Terry Fox Run is traditionally held, and September 20, 2015, marks its 35th anniversary;

“Whereas on November 27, 2014, Terry Fox’s home province of British Columbia passed similar legislation proclaiming this same day as Terry Fox Day starting this year;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“That the Legislative Assembly move quickly to pass Bill 61 at third reading before the end of the current session, ensuring that on September 20, 2015, Ontarians can celebrate Terry Fox Day.”

I support the petition and I will give my petition to page Misha.

Taxation

Mr. Robert Bailey: This is a petition addressed to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Liberal government has indicated they plan on introducing a new carbon tax in 2015; and

“Whereas Ontario taxpayers have already been burdened with a health tax of $300 to $900 ... that doesn’t necessarily go into health care, a $2-billion smart meter program that failed to conserve energy, and households are paying almost $700 more ... for unaffordable subsidies under the Green Energy Act; and

“Whereas a carbon tax scheme would increase the cost of everyday goods including gasoline and home heating; and

“Whereas the government continues to run unaffordable deficits without a plan to reduce spending while collecting $30 billion more annually in tax revenues than 11 years ago; and

“Whereas the aforementioned points lead to the conclusion that the government is seeking justification to raise taxes to pay for their excessive spending, without accomplishing any concrete targets;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To abandon the idea of introducing yet another unaffordable and ineffective tax on Ontario families and businesses.”

I agree with this and will affix my signature and send it down with Chloe.

Orders of the Day

Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Amendment Act, 2015 / Loi de 2015 modifiant la

Loi sur la Société de protection des animaux de l’Ontario

Resuming the debate adjourned on April 13, 2015, on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Bill 80,

An Act to amend the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Animals for Research Act with respect to the possession and breeding of orcas and administrative requirements for animal care / Projet de loi 80, Loi modifiant la

Loi sur la Société de protection des animaux de l’Ontario et la

Loi sur les animaux destinés à la recherche en ce qui concerne la possession et l’élevage d’épaulards ainsi que les exigences administratives relatives aux soins dispensés aux animaux.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Pursuant to the order of the House dated April 22, 2015, I am now required to put the question.

Mr. Naqvi has moved second reading of Bill 80,

An Act to amend the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Animals for Research Act with respect to the possession and breeding of orcas and administrative requirements for animal care. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I believe I heard a no.

All those in favour, please say “aye.”

All those against, please say “nay.”

In my opinion, the ayes have it.

Call in the members. There will be a five-minute bell.

I have received a notice from the government House leader to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly: “Pursuant to standing order 28(h), I request that the vote on second reading of Bill 80 be deferred until deferred votes on Tuesday, April 28, 2015.”

Second reading vote deferred.

Ontario Retirement Pension Plan Act, 2015 / Loi de 2015 sur le Régime de retraite de la province de l’Ontario

Ms. Hunter moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill 56,

An Act to require the establishment of the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan / Projet de loi 56, Loi exigeant l’établissement du Régime de retraite de la province de l’Ontario.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Debate?

Hon. Mitzie Hunter: Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased to rise today for the third reading of Bill 56, the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan Act, 2015.

I want to begin by thanking the members of this House for the thoughtful debate that has taken place on this important piece of legislation. The ORPP is a central part of the government’s plan to build Ontario up. We value the input that we have received from all members of the House to date. I would particularly like to thank the members of the Standing Committee on Social Policy for their feedback and contributions to the legislative process.

In particular, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the member from Etobicoke North for his leadership and assistance in shepherding this bill through the committee process. Finally, I would also like to express thanks to the many groups that took the time to share their insights with members of the committee during public hearings.

Since assuming the role of the Associate Minister of Finance responsible for the ORPP, I’ve been meeting with individuals and stakeholders from across the province to discuss how to ensure the ORPP is the best plan possible for the people of Ontario. I was pleased to see many of those groups and others come to the Legislature to discuss the importance of enhancing retirement security.

Today, I’m pleased to once again have the chance to highlight the positive impact of this bill for Ontarians. This bill is a major step forward in fulfilling our commitment to establishing the ORPP by 2017. This legislation is a key step forward in addressing the retirement savings challenge facing Ontarians today. It would give the government the tools it needs to ensure that working Ontarians are able to achieve the retirement security they deserve.

Over the past few months, I’ve had the pleasure of travelling across the province to speak with Ontarians about our government’s plan. I’ve spoken with a wide range of individuals, families, organizations, young workers, pension experts, businesses, labour groups and associations from all corners of the province. Throughout all these conversations, one thing has been very clear: People are concerned about their retirement. I have heard time and time again that there is a gap between what people are able to save and what they will need in retirement. Many people are worried they will outlive their savings.

Some are concerned that they may never be able to retire at all. This concern is exactly why we’ve introduced this bill: to move to close this gap and help give people in this province the financial security they deserve in retirement. Passing Bill 56 is a critical step to giving millions of Ontarians the retirement security they want and need.

Bill 56 lays out the foundation for the ORPP and would commit the government to establish the plan by January 2017. It has a framework for key design parameters and includes a requirement to establish an entity to administer the plan. Once implemented, the ORPP would expand pension coverage to millions of workers and ensure that Ontarians have a secure retirement income floor that they can rely on. The people of Ontario need this plan. This plan will give people confidence in their retirement future.

The realities of life today for the workforce are much different than they were in our parents’ generation. People are more mobile than ever before. On average, workers can expect to change employers about five times throughout their careers. This makes consistent participation in a workplace plan difficult. As well, the proportion of Ontarians with workplace pension plan coverage is low and is getting lower. In 2012, only 34% of Ontario workers had a workplace plan. The numbers are even lower when you look at the private sector, where only 28% are benefiting from membership in a workplace pension plan.

Young people are particularly disadvantaged when it comes to workplace pension plans. Their working lives involve multiple jobs, sometimes temporary or part-time, so they have a patchwork of pension coverage at best. In 2012, only about one quarter of workers aged 25 to 34 had workplace plans, compared to nearly half of workers aged 45 to 54. Young people today worry that they might never achieve the security their parents’ generation had.

With low workplace pension coverage, people must turn elsewhere, so they rely more heavily on personal savings. However, study after study shows us that people are not taking advantage of voluntary retirement savings vehicles. In 2012, 81% of available TFSA room is currently unused. In 2013, there was approximately $790 billion in unused RRSP room in Canada—about $300 billion in Ontario alone.

Studies from major financial institutions including CIBC, RBC, BMO and Sun Life have shown growing numbers of Ontarians who have not been saving sufficiently. In a recent poll, RBC found that only 39% of respondents put money away for retirement in 2014, and 30% had not begun saving at all. BMO found that one third of Canadians have less than $10,000 in savings. Sun Life Financial found that 60% of Canadians now expect to work past 65, up from 48% in 2008.

For those who do manage to save, high management fees, low interest rates and unpredictable market performance have led to lower returns on their investments. Add to this the fact that lifespans are increasing. A 20-year-old today can expect to reach age 90, and one in 10 is expected to live to 100.

While increasing life expectancy is a sign of higher living standards and better health outcomes—something we should be proud of, Mr. Speaker—it also places more pressure on personal savings, creating a need for them to stretch further, so those who have managed to put away money are worrying that they might actually outlive their savings. Many of the Ontarians I spoke to fear that they will never be able to retire at all, while others are concerned that the physically demanding nature of their jobs will prevent them from continuing to work before they are financially prepared for retirement.

What is clear is that our 20th-century system is not meeting the needs of our 21st-century economy. This is deeply concerning for our government. We know that pensions are a significant economic driver for communities across Ontario.

A 2012 Boston Consulting Group study found that, on average, 14 cents of every dollar of income in Ontario communities comes from pensions. Over the next 20 years, the number of seniors in Ontario will almost double, and this is a growing percentage of the population which faces low pension coverage and inadequate savings. They will spend less.

Less spending could slow consumption and growth. This will put pressure on our economy and our publicly funded institutions, like health care and education. On an individual level, that’s concerning for future seniors, whose standards of living will decline. Collectively, it has the potential to compromise our long-term economic prosperity. That’s not good for people. That’s not good for business. That’s not good for the economy.

Ontarians expect leadership and action to strengthen retirement security for Ontario’s workers. For younger generations, personal savings will have to stretch over a retirement period that is likely to last several decades. After a lifetime of contributing to our 21st-century economy, they will need a plan to provide them with security in their 21st-century retirement.

In Canada, with the Canada Pension Plan, we already have a savings vehicle that’s supporting a modern and mobile labour force. Unfortunately, the federal government has shut down any and all discussions on enhancements. Mr. Speaker, in the absence of a CPP enhancement, our government is taking action. The ORPP will build on the key features of the CPP and provide a predictable stream of retirement income for life. This will ensure that Ontarians have the retirement security they worked for, the security they’ve earned and the security they deserve. That sense of security is important for each Ontarian, for each business and for our economy as a whole.

The ORPP would be the first of its kind—a mandatory provincial pension plan—and would address the retirement needs of a modern, mobile, 21st-century workforce. The ORPP would aim to replace 15% of an individual’s pre-retirement earnings, up to $90,000. It would require the contribution rate to be the same for employers and employees, not exceeding 3.8% combined. Together with the current CPP, this would supplement personal savings and provide a secure retirement income floor for life.

The ORPP would also be designed to ensure that benefits are earned as contributions are made, so that the system is fair for all generations. And it would pool longevity and investment risk, protecting investments from volatile markets.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight some of the key elements of the bill for members of this House. This bill lays out the rules for eligibility to participate in the ORPP. Contributions would be managed by a publicly administered entity at arm’s length from government. As noted in the bill, the administrative entity would be responsible for enrolling eligible employees and employers into the ORPP; collecting, holding and investing contributions; and paying out retirement benefits. The 2015 Ontario budget, tabled last week by my honourable colleague the Minister of Finance, introduced the legislation that would establish this entity: the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan Administratio